50 Facts About UC Blue Ash College

As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of UC Blue Ash College during the 2017-18 academic year, we are sharing 50 Facts about our college. Watch for a new fact each week on social media sites, TV monitors around campus and on the UCBANow blog.

Fact 1

There were 632 students enrolled when UC Blue Ash held its first classes on September 25, 1967. Today it is the largest regional college in Ohio, with nearly 5,000 students.

Fact 2

In 1965, the University of Cincinnati acquired land that was originally designated to become the Blue Ash Airport, as the future site of its new “off-campus” branch.

Fact 3

On average, more than 750 students transition to UC Uptown each year. The average GPA is 3.12 during first semester after transition.

Fact 4

Most of the professors at UC Blue Ash have their PhD or the terminal degree in their field, and two-thirds of classes are taught by our full-time faculty.

Fact 5

The average age of the UC Blue Ash College student for Fall of 2017 is 22.1 years old. The youngest current student is 13 and the oldest is 72.

Fact 6

The UC Blue Ash College campus is within a 20-minute drive from most places around Greater Cincinnati, including downtown.

Fact 7

In 2010, UC Blue Ash College founded the UC Smiles program to provide free oral health check-ups to underserved school children in Greater Cincinnati at the Dental Hygiene Clinic. As of Friday, September 29, 2017, more than 2,000 kids have been served.

Fact 8

Nearly half of our students at UC Blue Ash College are “first-generation college students,” or the first of their immediate family to attend college

Fact 9

Our study abroad program marked its 20th Anniversary this summer with programs in Australia, Great Britain and Peru. Over the past two decades, students and faculty have traveled to more than 20 countries to immerse themselves in the culture of the courses they study. These programs often create life-changing experiences for our students.

Fact 10

Our name officially changed from Raymond Walters College to UC Blue Ash College in 2011. The change was designed to better align with the UC brand, and better identify the location of our scenic campus.

Fact 11

Don’t get SPOOKED when classes get hard! UC Blue Ash offers Learning Labs to assist with course materials in almost every subject! Check out our Foreign Language Lab, Math Lab, Science Lab, and the Writing and Study Skills Center.

Fact 12

The UC Blue Ash Veteran Student Affairs Office was created in 2014 to better serve our students. Since then, the number of our military veteran students has nearly doubled to 157. We salute them and all veterans for their service to our country!

Fact 13

When our college opened in September 1967 it was the first regional college of the University of Cincinnati, and one of the first in Ohio. Regional colleges were created in the state as the result of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Fact 14

We are thankful to have more than 23,000 alumni from UC Blue Ash College. So many of them are making a positive impact in their community and in their field, whether close to home or around the world.

Fact 16

The cornerstone for Muntz Hall ended up inside of the building after the major expansion of the building in 1976. Today, it can be found inside one of the offices in the Dean’s Suite.

Fact 17

Raymond Walters was the original namesake of our college. He was the longest-tenured president in UC’s history, serving from 1932-55. His presence continues on our campus through Raymond Walters Hall and Walters Lane.

Fact 18

The sculpture in the green space between Muntz and Walters Halls titled “Anatomy Vessel”, was erected as a part of Walters Hall construction, and dedicated in 2001. It was funded by Ohio’s Percent for Art program, which provides that one per cent of the total budget of a new or renovated public building shall be used for the installation of works of art.

Fact 19

Blue Ash Elementary School is part of Sycamore Community Schools, but was built on the UC Blue Ash campus in 2002 as a result of our partnership with the school district. It is one of the very few primary schools ever constructed on a college campus in the U.S.

Fact 20

More than $70,000 in scholarships are awarded by UC Blue Ash to our students each year. We have a wide range of scholarships that are available based on academic program, personal achievement (such as our first-generation student scholarship), and general achievement in the classroom.

Fact 21

The Annex building was the old Plainfield Schoolhouse, which was built in the 1930’s. Today it houses the applied Graphic Communication Department and includes studios and he UC Blue Ash art gallery.

Fact 22

As we begin the new year, we’re excited about the newest building on our campus. Progress Hall opened in in summer 2017 and provides much needed classroom and office space. It also incorporates 16,300 sq ft of mixed use space, 75 tons of steel, 3,500 square feet of windows/glass, 70,000 square feet of drywall and 140 tons of brick!

Fact 23

The UC Blue Ash Dental Hygiene Clinic features 34 professional dental chairs, making our program the largest in Ohio. It’s also the only program of its kind in Greater Cincinnati.

Fact 24

Our park-like campus covers 135 acres and features plenty of greenspace, including more than 900 trees.

Fact 25

The city of Blue Ash is the largest suburban office market in Greater Cincinnati; so over 2,000 companies are located in our backyard. This gives us an awesome location for students looking for internships!

Fact 26

The Veterinary Technology program has been a part of our college curriculum since the early 1970’s, but the Vet Tech building didn’t open on our campus until 2005. Before then, the program and labs were based at UC Uptown.

Fact 27

Eric Broyles is a UC Blue Ash Distinguished Alumnus who continues to give back to the college. A successful corporate attorney and entrepreneur, Eric is a scholarship donor who often returns to our campus to speak to students. He started a new speakers series in 2018 to feature UC alumni who share their experiences in overcoming challenges and achieving academic and professional success.

Fact 28

UC Blue Ash College welcomes students from all corners of the globe! We have more than 200 international students who represent over 50 different countries. The top five represented countries in our student body are Mexico, Ghana, India, Uzbekistan and China.

Fact 29

Muntz Hall was dedicated as the Ernest G. Muntz Hall on February 24, 1991, in honor of our longest serving dean. Dr. Muntz was part of the administrative team that opened our college in 1967 and was named dean in 1969. He was instrumental in developing our college in its early years and grew enrollment from just over 600 students to 4,000 by the time he retired in 1990.

Fact 30

The UC Blue Ash College Student Ambassador program was established in 2011. Since then, approximately 75 students have served as ambassadors, each receiving scholarships covering tuition for the academic year. Student ambassadors serve as the “face” of our college, while building leadership skills and confidence along the way. Our 2016-17 UCBA Ambassadors logged 2,091 service hours, which included support for 232 campus events.

Fact 31

In 2013, we opened the Bleecker Street Café in Muntz Hall. Named for an entertainment/restaurant district in New York City’s Greenwich Village, the concept is based on a New York City deli and features fresh baked pastries and bread, signature sandwiches, a breakfast menu, and a coffee bar with espresso, smoothies, and iced coffee.

Fact 32

In 2017, a history book about UC Blue Ash College was published. 50 Years of UC Blue Ash College: Inspiring Student Success- Then, Now, Always was written by our very own History professor, Robert Gioielli. The book, which includes many fun facts and historical photos of our college, can be bought in our bookstore or online.

Fact 33

The Flory Center was originally called the Student Center and opened in 1969 to provide space for students to eat, meet, and relax between classes. It was converted into classrooms 20 years later to keep up with growing enrollment numbers. The building was renamed in honor of Harriet Flory, a beloved History professor and administrator at the college.

Fact 34

The UC Blue Ash Bookstore is a great resource for UC and UC Blue Ash gear! It carries athletic wear, hats, and even scrubs for health care students.

Fact 35

The Courtyard is a relatively new edition to our campus. It opened in 2013 as the final part of our renovation project that also included the new UC Blue Ash Library, Bleecker St. Café, and Community Commons.

Fact 36

Dr. Cady Short-Thompson was Dean of UC Blue Ash College from 2010–2017 and is credited with a long list of accomplishments that transformed our college. She led the process to change the name to UC Blue Ash College, helped drive record-high enrollments, developed new academic programs, initiated campus renovations and expansion, and drove a huge increase in fundraising to support student scholarships.

Fact 37

The UC Blue Ash College Entrepreneur Speaker series was created in 2014 to provide helpful information and inspiration to future and current entrepreneurs. The series is held twice a year with business leaders who share their experiences in starting and maintaining a successful business. Featured guests have included local business icons Buddy LaRosa, Tony Maas and Jeff Wyler.

Fact 38

The UC Blue Ash Dash 5K for Scholarships was first held in 2013 to support our student scholarship fund. Over the first four years the event raised more than $170,000, thanks to the support of our community partners and more than 2,000 participants.

Fact 39

Our college is located in the heart of the City of Blue Ash, which is ranked as the number one tech submarket in Greater Cincinnati by the Cincinnati Business Courier. It also features the new Summit Park, which boasts a performance pavilion, restaurants, playground, observation tower, and walking/biking paths.

Fact 40

In fall 2017, UC Blue Ash College hosted its 50th Anniversary Gala, welcoming 250 guests to our campus for a night of celebration. The evening included recognition for Dr. Ernest Muntz, the longest-tenured dean of our college, a look back with a special video highlighting the history of UC Blue Ash, and inspirational presentations by UC Blue Ash alumni and community partners.

Fact 41

Each year UCBA hosts Mediated Minds, a research conference for undergraduate students complete with individual oral presentations, poster presentations, panel discussions, and round-table presentations/debates. Students are encouraged to research topics they are passionate about and are offered a public forum to share their discoveries. This year will be our 7th year of Mediated Minds.

Fact 42

The UC Blue Ash College Library is located in the heart of Muntz Hall. Renovated in 2013, the library offers a contemporary design and new technology that provide a great place for students to study, collaborate and find resources. It features 16 desktops and 15 laptops for student use, hundreds of books for check out and reference, eight private study rooms, comfortable chairs and couches, and plenty of natural light!

Fact 43

With an enrollment of nearly 5,000 students, UC Blue Ash College is among the largest regional college campuses in the Midwest. The college opened with an enrollment of 632 students and saw that number steadily increase to 3,000 in 1976, 4,000 in 1990 and 5,000 in 2010. The highest enrollment to date was in 2011 when we had 5,221 students.

Fact 44

The University of Cincinnati enacted a tobacco-free policy for all campuses, including UC Blue Ash College, on May 1, 2017. The policy bans the use of all forms of tobacco and smoking, including smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes, on university property.

Fact 45

For 10 straight years, UC Blue Ash College Electronic Media students have been recognized for their class projects with awards from the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Fact 46

UC Blue Ash bears the seal of the University of Cincinnati. The design of seal consists of the scales of justice, the sword of authority and power, the serpents of wisdom and the winged rod of commerce. It also displays two Latin phrases: “Juncta Juvant” meaning “strength in unity” and “Alta Petit” meaning “she seeks heights”.

Fact 47

Martha Ossenbeck-Smith was part of the first class to enter UC Blue Ash College in 1967 and saw her daughter enroll at the college 50 years later. Shannon Chalmers was admitted into the dental hygiene program at UC Blue Ash in fall 2017. Her first patient in the Dental Hygiene Clinic was her mom.

Fact 48

Last spring, 7,501 students graduated from the University of Cincinnati, with 961 of them hailing from UC Blue Ash College. Every year about 15% of UC graduates started their academic career at one of our regional colleges – UC Blue Ash and UC Clermont.

Fact 49

Part of the appeal of UC Blue Ash College is the personal attention and individual support you get with our professors due to our small class sizes. Our student to faculty ratio is about 18:1, with an average class size of 19 students.

Fact 50

UC Blue Ash College offers 50 academic degree programs, including two bachelor’s degree programs. The Bachelor’s in Radiation Science Technology was created in 2004 and went fully online in 2015. The Bachelor’s in Technical and Applied Studies launched in 2011 to provide those with an associate degree in an applied or technical field the opportunity to learn communication and leadership skills.

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UC Blue Ash College is a regional college within the University of Cincinnati. It offers one of the best values in higher education with access to a nationally recognized UC education in nearly 50 degrees and certificates, as well as tuition that is about half of most colleges and universities. The college is located on a scenic 135-acre wooded campus in the heart of Blue Ash, Ohio.Learn more at ucblueash.edu